One of the United States' largest multinational companies named Halliburton responsible for the Deepwater Oil Spill now admits tjo destroying evidence. The US Justice Department made the announcement this week.
As part of a plea deal with the Department of Justice, Halliburton will face three years' probation, pay a fine of $200,000 and continue to cooperate in the DOJ's criminal investigation of the April 2010 explosion and fire on the drilling platform, which killed 11 rig workers off Louisiana. A court will need to approve the legal agreement which some experts say seems to fall short.
Halliburton employees destroyed computer simulation models that indicated how the off-shore oil drilling operation could be affected by reducing the amount of metal collars that help keep the well pipe centered. It was later discovered that the inadequate number of collars led to the oil spill disaster.
The Deepwater Horizon Oil spill was the largest of its kind in US history. Nearly 5 million barrels of crude oil were dumped into the Gulf of Mexico. And the mess wasn't cleaned up quickly. It took three months before a cap was put on the massive leak.
The full impact on the environment along the southern coast around the Gulf of Mexico is yet to be realized.
The Justice Department said it would not pursue further criminal charges against Halliburton or its subsidiaries--leaving many to wonder if a slap on the wrist is enough to make an impact